The PR Maven Podcast

Julene Gervais began her career after completing her master’s degree from Emerson College and undergrad at Boston College. Her first job was at WECT-TV, an NBC affiliate in Wilmington, North Carolina. In 1996, Gervais moved to Maine and became an anchor/reporter at WAGM-TV in Presque Isle before moving on to WLBZ-TV NEWSCENTER MAINE in Bangor and WGME-TV Channel 13 in Portland. Gervais is the producer and host of Greenlight Maine—taking her skills and putting them together to help Maine’s economy.

Laurie Lachance is Thomas College’s 5th president and the first female and alumna to lead the college in its 125-year history. From 2004 to 2012, Laurie served as president and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation. Prior to MDF, Laurie served three governors as the Maine state economist, and before joining state government, she served as the corporate economist at Central Maine Power Company. Laurie holds an undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College and an MBA from Thomas College.

From outspoken CEOs to U.S. Senate candidates, Luka Ladan has advised some of America's most recognizable thought leaders. Ladan is an expert on strategic messaging and media relations, with a deep background in brand and issue management. Prior to founding Zenica, Ladan served as communications director at a leading public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. Ladan graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in Political Science and Correlate Sequence in International Economics.

Angela Ferrari is an artist and children’s book author/illustrator based in Portland, Maine. She is the creator and host of the Story Spectacular podcast. Angela uses her artistic talent for writing and illustrating children’s books, including Digger’s Daily Routine, An Extraordinary Book, What Do You See?, The Shape Escape, and Lawrence the Lighthouse. Angela has also launched Story Spectacular, a children’s story podcast that features original stories and classic retellings.

He earned his B.S. in biomedical engineering in 2017 and recently completed his M.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Maine. He is passionate about biotechnology research and commercialization in various fields, spanning drug development, skin care, marine bioresources, medical education and sports performance innovation and enjoys participating in regular K-12 outreach experiences, motivating and mentoring students for careers in STEM.

Jim is the principal of Peak-Careers Consulting offering professional development for career practitioners/coaches through workshops and online discussion-based seminars. He is a LinkedIn strategist, career coach and blogger. For more than 11 years he was director of the Advising & Career Center at a community college, spent more than a decade as a high school counselor, and since February 2012, has been full time with Peak-Careers.

Kurt Kleidon is the president of Kleidon & Associates, a marketing communications agency in Akron, Ohio. Kurt has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and media relations and previous experience a magazine editor and college professor. In his professional capacity, Kurt focuses on marketing strategy and helping his clients find the right balance between digital opportunities and traditional marketing efforts. He truly enjoys developing new ways to convey a message.

Lieutenant Tim Cotton from the Bangor Police Department is a 22-year veteran officer with a fondness for upholding the law and having a sense of humor. Tim didn’t take up police work at first. Instead he worked in radio, hosting local morning shows and writing newspaper articles. He sought out police work later in life compared to most officers. His strong communications skills and background are what have led him to his unique position today.

John Iannarelli retired from the FBI after more than 20 years of service, during which time he participated in the investigations of the Oklahoma City bombing, the 9/11 attack, and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ shooting. John is a frequent on-air contributor for national news media. John is now a highly sought-after keynote speaker, known for sharing his intriguing insights combined with his sense of humor. He has presented to domestic and international audiences, including at the Vatican.

In her role at Marshall Communications, Emma assists others in the office with research, analysis, communications, meeting facilitation and copywriting. Taking on projects from many of our clients, Emma uses her time-management skills to quickly complete projects with tight deadlines and manage multiple priorities. With her knowledge of our clients, she is able to smoothly transition from working on a project for one client to another project for a different client.